During much of the year, grasses ignite easily and burn rapidly. Tall grass will quickly carry fire to your house. Plant "fire wise" grasses in the defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a structure where fuels and vegetation are treated, cleared or reduced to slow the spread of wildfire. For more information on defensible space, you can start with the publication "Creating Wildfire Defensible Zones."

	Seed Mixes for New Mexico

Fire wise grass seed mixes for New Mexico may contain only native or a combination of native and non-native species. In a wildland area, it is preferable to use mostly or all native grass species. Mixes with all native species will take longer to establish (up to three years) than those with a percentage of non-native seed. The advantages of using all native species is that they will persist once established, and weed problems associated with introduced species are avoided in the long run. Grasses in these mixes have the following characteristics: They are longer growing. They need less maintenance. Seed is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Back to TOP